Jaguar Land Rover appoints new China chief

Jaguar Land Rover has appointed Bob Grace, an experienced executive at the British luxury sports car and SUV maker, as president of its China operations.

The post is a new one and comes after Jaguar Land Rover last month said its China business will in future be run as a wholly-owned national sales company.

"Grace will oversee the company's rapidly expanding operations in China and focus on managing sales growth of the two brands," Jaguar Land Rover said in a statement.

Previously Grace was the company's overseas operations director. He joined Jaguar Land Rover in 1985 and has served in a variety of global leadership positions.

Grace will be supported by Chris Brown, who will move from his current role as Jaguar Land Rover China managing director to the newly created position of executive vice president of corporate affairs.

Brown will build a new team in Beijing to liaise with the Chinese government, automotive industry groups and the media.

In May, Jaguar Land Rover owner, India's Tata Motors, said it plans to build Jaguar sports cars and Land Rover SUVs in China to boost sales in the booming market.

Tata Motors CEO Carl-Peter Forster said the company will start Chinese manufacturing with Land Rover models and both brands would eventually produce as many as 40,000 vehicles combined. He did not specify a target date.

Tata bought Jaguar and Land Rover in 2008 from Ford Motor Co. for $2.5 billion.